Air-seal flushing device



Fbi 24-, 1925.

G. A. HANLY AIR SEAL FLUSHING DEVICE Filed March 11 1920 Ill" Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

GEORGE A. I-IANLY, F ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

AIR-SEAL FLUSHING DEVICE.

Application filed March 11, 1920. Serial No. 365,085.

To all 107mm it may concern:

, Be it known that I, Gnonon A. HANLY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Elgin, county of Kane, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Air-Seal Flushing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present improvements relate to devices in which a flow of liquid is controlled by a body of air, forming sealing means, interposed between the liquid body and the discharge orifice. In this connection attention is directed to my U. S. Letters Patent Numbers 1,152,810 and 1,152,811 of September 7, 1915 entitled Pneumatic valve apparatus and Pneumatic valve mechanism respectively, in which I have illustrated, described and claimed devices of the same kind and character as the one herein shown, and have so fully explained the principles involved that the same need to be set forth only briefly herein.

The objects of the present improvements are, first, to constitute the device for auto matic discharge and for manual-control discharge at will, thus making the same device available for both uses; secondly, to improve the drainer; thirdly, to provide a simple form of safety catch device for the air-entrapping means whereby it may be operated by hand only after a given and necessary supply of liquid is in the tank; and fourthly, to simplify and reduce cost of construction.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 shows in section a tank adapted to contain a. quantity of liquid with the flushing apparatus partly in full lines and partly in medial section; Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of the flushing mechanism, the view being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a fragment of the supporting means for the tiltable hood and drainer; Fig 4 shows a perspective of the hood; Fig. 5 shows a perspective of the drainer; and Fig. 6 shows and enlarged fragment in medial vertical section of the auxiliary "liquid supply valve.

lVater enters the device through the supply pipe 10 and issues at 1]., the flow being controlled by the valve 12 which is operated automatically by the float 13, the valve cutting off the supply when the water line reaches a predetermined hydrostatic head.

The i d is d s ar d. om the t n through the pipe 15 projecting upward into the tank. The lower end portion of this pipe is surrounded by a closed pipe 16, in spaced relation, having the discharge opening 17, from which opening a connection is made to the water closet bowl when the device is employed in that use. The pipes 15 and 16 form a trap of well-known construction. A drain plug 18 at the bottom of the trap permits the water to be drawn off when so desired.

Means providing an air seal about the upper opening of the discharge pipe 15 com prises a head 20, which is open throughout its bottom portion and closed at sides, ends and top. In my said patents I show constructions in which a similar hood is pivotally mounted on a frame which swings upward. I find that it is feasible to pivot the hood 20 on a fixed part, as on a pair of spaced-apart rods 21 carried by a supporting plate 22 secured in osition by a clamping nut 23, the rods 21 being held on the plate by turned-over portions 24- of the metal, as well seen in Fig. 3.

The rods 21 are carried forward and have vertical extensions 25 forming a. support for the operating rod 26, this operating rod being pivot-ally mounted at 2?. The operating rod 26 has a catch at 30 adapted to engage the turned-over flange 31 of the hood 20 and hold the hood in its normally horizontal position at all times except when it is de sired to release the same for manually controlled operation. When so released the hood 20 swings into its dotted line position of Fig. 1, whereupon the water passes around the lower edge of the drainer and thence into the opening at the upper end of the pipe 15.

The drainer 35 consists as here shown of a substantially square inverted cup open throughout its bottom and closed at sides and top except for the small hole or several such small holes, as 36, which are not strict- 1y essential but which overcome some objectionable noise when the siphon is broken at the end'of the flushing operation. This hood 35 slips upon four upstanding cleats 38, the cleatsat one side being well shown in 3, and is thereby held in place. The principal feature. of improvement in the drainer is the extension of its inner pipe 40 to the side wall, well illustrated in Fig. 1, instead of carrying it out the top, as in the second of my said former patents, find that the operation is more satisfactory W lth the presentarrangen'ient of this pipe 40 and it enables the top of the hood 20 to be brought closer to the drainer I also provide a safety feature in my present device whereby the operating rod 26 may not be moved to release the hood 20. until the water has attained a sufficient hydrostatichead to provide thedesired siphonic action, it being, pointed out that if the hood 2O isreleased before -a .suilicient head is. attained in the tank the siphonic action will not be started, This safety feature-provides that vhen the "float 13 shall have reached the desired elevation certain operating parts will haveibeen shifted so-that the lever 26 may .be-moved by rocking, the handle 50.

Theconstruction illustrated for effecting safety in this respect include first a crank arm-52 rigidlysecu'red upon the float rod-58, thiscrank 52 being anextension of the pivot for the float rod: and being maderigid thereon-by. giving it .a turn at 5 k around the rod 53. A'pair of parallel and similar substantially horizontally disposed links v55 each terminating in :aneye 56 are held upon the crank pin 57 0f tlie crank 52. At the-other ends of-the links-55 respectivelyeye's are turned and; through these eyes p ass theihorizontal extension Geo-tithe pull-rod 59 pivoted-upon the bellcrank!60on'the shaft 61to Wl1lCll-l3l1Gslll11dlG '50 is secured.

It will be noted from :Fig.-1 that the rod .26-is-given certain bends at its npper end portion which provide ashonlder at 63 and a notch-like space or opening at-Get. It will 61 is rocked thepnll rod 59 will be 'lifted and that the extension 65 thereofsvill come into contact \vithathe! shoulder '63 on the rod 26, thereby lifting that rod at that end and causing :thcdatch 30 to come-away from engagement avith the projection 131, thus freeing the hood. ()n-the other hand, WllGIb-tll float 13 is in its dotted lii1e positioirand the pull rod 59 is thereby ymoved' into its dotted line position,:througha shifting of the crank 52 and links 55, the cross rod 65 is in sub stantially vertical line withthe noteh or 3171106 564: so that if the handle 5O "lJG llOW operated the cross rod 55 Will not engage any part of the rod 26, butwillmovc upward freely into the notch '64; .andthe 02113101 :hood QOLWill not'be released. I have thusrshown means-partly under the control of the operator and partly under the control of the pocketed between-thesetwo bodies of water and that if additional hydrostatic head be added in the tank it will destroy this equilibrium and cause'water to flow through the dischar e orifice 17 in the tra 3 and the flow once being started continues until the tank isedrained, whereupon the flow ceases and the tank again fills up. In such case of automatic discharge the hood 20 is not re leased and does not change its position.

In manylinstances it is desirable toflnsh closets, urinals or the like periodically, even though there be provided means for manual operation, =and there areother instances Where manuah operation is; not desired, but Where only the automatic feature is Wanted, audit is "also usnallydesirable to regulate the time between flushings. I attain these objects in the presentdevice .by :means of an auxiliary supply valve, Well illustrated in 6,;compri'sing in simple {form i-ajplng rthreaded into the supplycpi-pe 10,;the plug having a threaded-tapered hole 71, the plug being provided with a discharge opening 72, there .being avalve stem 73 threaded into the hole 71,:' an operatingahan- (He 74 being used to turn the valve,;and

a nut 75 on the' stenr73providingmefea ture of adjustment .andlockingnneans for the valve. According to this construction the discharge hole 72 can be ,clofsedgori opened tosuch extent asmayvbe desired, thusprd viding means for =supplyingwadditional waiter to the tank in 'regulable quantities after the float shall have out off the main supply. c be clear from Fig; 1-thatifthe handleshaft I In operation the normal rapid supply through the pipe 10 will take placeas usual until the normal hydrostatic head is reached, Whereuon the additional supply wlll' flOlvttlll'Ollgll the discharge hole 72,iand the length of time between flushings can be unade longer orishorter by varying this hole F71 providesthat when the valve stem v73 is-itn-rned inward so asto close the hole TQ-the-stem will become tightened whereby water may not escape around the threads.

While I have illustrated Qanddescribed =ing a discharge orifice in Esaid'tank,floatcontrolled means for supplying with @a ,relatively rapid flow a given hydrostatic head of liquid to said tank, means providing an .air seal-"about saidkdischange orifice for fimadntaining: the liquid tin said 1 =t'ank fr0m being discharged through said orifice when at the given hydrostatic head While providing for its discharge at a greater hydrostatic head, and means for supplying with a relatively slow flow additional liquid to said tank after the given hydrostatic head has been provided therein.

2. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a discharge pipe having a discharge orifice in said tank, float-controlled means for supplying with a relatively rapid flow a given hydrostatic head of liquid to said tank, means providing an air seal about said discharge orifice for maintaining the liquid in said tank from being discharged through said orifice When at the given hydrostatic head while providing for its discharge at a higher hydrostatic head, and means for supplying a regulable relatively slow flow of additional liquid to said tank after the given hydrostatic head has been provided therein.

3. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, an upWardly-extending discharge pipe having a discharge orifice in said tank, float-controlled means for supplying a given hydrostatic head of liquid to said tank, an inverted cup-like device open at the bottom covering and surround ing, in spaced relation, the open end of the upwardly-extending discharge pipe, an air pipe partly Within said cup-like device and aving one end portion extending down- Ward through a portion of the discharge pipe and another portion extending through a side wall of the cup-like device near the top thereof, and a movably mounted hood having a top Wall substantially close to the top of said cup-like device, and being adapted to pocket a quantity of air about said discharge opening, and means for releasably holding said hood in its air-holding position.

GEORGE A. HANLY. 

